English Poet Francis Thompson (b. 1859, d. 1907) | Image: Hulton Archive / Getty Images
Yet another theory regarding the identity of English serial killer Jack the Ripper has been publicized, this time by Australia-based, English-born educator Richard Patterson. After a 20-year study of the case, Patterson believes the once revered English poet Francis Thompson was the Whitechapel Murderer.
Some of Patterson's reasoning, which he related to the Mirror in an interview, follows:
- Thompson had surgical experience and hinted at a double life in some of his written works, in which he talked about killing people
- The poet "kept a dissecting knife under his coat, and he was taught a "rare surgical procedure that was found in the mutilations of more than one of the Ripper victims"
- Thompson "helped with surgery and is known to have cut up heaps and heaps of cadavers while a student"
- Thompson was an opium addict and maintained "close links" to at least one East London prostitute
Patterson believes Thompson snapped and began murdering prostitutes when his relationship with one ended badly.
Watch an (autoplay) video about Patterson's research and read more on this story here.
Newest 3 Comments
Ah, these sorts of things are a wonderful intellectual exercise. No one alive to refute or confirm.
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Hi, thanks for the correction. I was thinking of the (area related) a/k/a name for Jack the Ripper, which was the Whitechapel Murderer. As you observed, I got it wrong from memory.
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I think you mean "Jack the Ripper". The Yorkshire Ripper (Peter Sutcliffe) is currently serving a prison sentence.
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